Adventure #443

Action/Adventure
Theme This is the most common and straightforward sort of adventure there is. In the Action/Adventure scenario, you
present your characters with a task and then confront them with obstacles to overcome in order to accomplish
the task successfully.
Thwart Monstrous Plan
This is a classic fantasy-adventure plot: The characters learn of some horrible plan made by a monstrous enemy,
Goal and must thwart it before the kingdom is lost or the world is destroyed. This is an epic goal, and usually requires
that the characters go to all sorts of places, rounding up allies and artefacts, before being strong enough to face
their enemy.
Dying Delivery
Story Hook On some occasion when the hero is out wandering the streets or is otherwise all alone, a dying man bumps into
him, hands him something, says a few words, and dies.
Event
Plot For this plot, choose some sort of event -- a tournament, a holiday, a celebration called by the king, a masked
ball, or whatever -- and set the commencement of the Master Villain's plan against that backdrop.
Chase to Ground
First, you have the Heroes Chasing the Villain. The villain, after a series of encounters with the heroes, is
running to safety, to some place where he can acquire more power, or to somewhere he can accomplish some
dread purpose such as assassination or mass murder. The heroes chase him, have to deal with the obstacles he
leaves behind, and finally catch up to him before or just as he reaches his goal. Here, we have the final duel
between the villains forces and the heroes. Second, you have the Villain Chasing the Heroes. Often, in a story
Climax like this, the heroes have found out how to defeat the villain -- such as getting to a particular temple and
conducting a particular ritual. The villain chases them all through their quest, catching up to them just as they're
commencing their ritual; they must, with heroic effort, conclude the ritual while suffering his attacks. Third, you
have the Master Villain's Sudden Escape Attempt. This takes place in adventures where the Master Villain's
identity is unknown until the end. His identity is revealed and he makes a sudden bolt for freedom; the heroes
give chase. This usually results in a dangerous foot-chase through nasty terrain -- such as across rooftops,
through the dungeons, or across an active battlefield.
Exotic Distant Land
General Setting The adventure will take the heroes to some fascinating and exotic distant country, where they'll have to cope
with new customs, monsters unfamiliar to them, and very colorful NPC encounters; choose one of the more
fascinating foreign lands from your campaign world.
Military Encampment
Specific Setting This is best used in an episode involving warfare; it could be the good-guy army's encampment, from which the
I heroes launch their adventures, or the villains' encampment, in which case the heroes might have to sneak in on a
mission or escape from it if they're captured.
Temple/Church
Specific Setting This can be either the church of some lofty and good diety, or the dark and grisly temple of some horrid deity
II (doubtless filled with evil soldiers and monsters), or even the temple that the madman villain has dedicated to
himself for when he becomes a god.
Conqueror
This character is moving his army in to take over; that's what he lives for. He's been the enemy of your
Master Villain characters' nation's ruler, and has launched a full-scale invasion of your characters' favorite nation. The heroes
have to beat their way through or elude his hordes of soldiers in order to get at him; better yet, they might lead
their own nation's troops against his and outthink him in military fashion.
Corrupted Hero
Minor Villain I This villain was once a hero, possibly one known to the players. He was seduced by the dark side of the dungeon
master. Because of his own weakness, or of a curse, he has become a villain, a pawn of the Master Villain.
Mistress with a Heart of Gold
Minor Villain II This character is much like the "Lover or Daughter of Villain" type of Mystery Woman from the Story Hooks
section. In this case, she usually accompanies the Master Villain, but sometimes goes on missions of her own,
where she runs into and develops affection for one of the player-characters.
Congenial Madman
Ally/Neutral This fellow is a pleasant, happy lunatic whom the heroes encounter; after the initial encounter, he follows them
wherever they go, commenting on their plans, behaving strangely, getting underfoot, and -- very occassionally --
proving to be a real help.
 Ravager
Monster This is another classic monster encounter; the monster which is bedeviling a community or local area and will
Encounter continue to do so unless the heroes destroy or defeat it. Yes, this is similar to the Master Villain of the same
name, but the Ravager usually has no master plan -- it just wants to kill, destroy, or eat.
Truthful Accuser
Character This encounter is like the Lying Accuser except that the accuser is telling the truth. Dig through your characters'
Encounter pasts, uncover a misdeed or two, and, when the heroes are at a critical point in their adventure, confront them
with someone they actually have wronged. This person has found them and appealed to sympathetic local
authorities. The heroes will have to make good or have the authorities on their backs for some time to come.
Pit and the Pendulum
Deathtrap Actually, we're applying this term to any of many time-delay deathtraps. In this sort of trap, the villains capture
the heroes and place them in a trap which will soon kill them -- it operates on a delay, often based on a timing
device or a burning fuse.
Special Terrain
You can make any chase more memorable by having it take place in a setting to which it is utterly unsuited. For
Chase instance, horse chases are fine and dramatic when they take place through the forest, out in the open plains, or
along a road -- but they become diabolical when they take place inside the Royal Palace or in dangerous,
labrynthine, treacherous catacombs.
Comet's Progress
Events during the adventure may be enlivened by a large and menacing comet which appears in the night sky for
Omen/Prophesy several days during the scenario; the locals take it for an omen of doom. The comet may be the result of magic
being used by the Master Villain, or the comet's appearance can pertain to an old legend involving the Master
Villain.
Element
The Master Villain can be banished, dispelled, killed, or otherwise defeated by some of element or item. The
Secret Weakness Master Villain tries to get rid of all the examples of this element in his vicinity; he doesn't let his minions carry it
or bring it into his presence. But he's not stupid; he doesn't announce to the world what his weakness is. He tries
to hide his concern within another command. If he's allergic to red roses, for instance, he orders all "things of
beauty" destroyed within miles of his abode.
Time Limit
Special Finally, the most obvious condition to place on an adventure is to give it a time limit. If the Master Villain is
Condition going to conclude his evil spell in only three days, and his citadel is three hard days' riding away, then the heroes
are going to be on the go all throughout the adventure -- with little time to rest, plan, gather allies, or anything
except get to where they're going.
Friend Quandry
Moral Quandry
At a critical point in the story, one of the campaign's NPCs makes an impossible demand of one of the heroes.
Lying Rumor
Red Herring This is the worst and most useful type of red herring -- the interesting rumor which just happens to be false. In
adventures of this sort, the best Lying Rumor concerns the Master Villain; it gives the heroes some "important"
information about him which later turns out to be useless.
Heroes Must Work with Villain
If they have to work for the villain, it's due to some hold he has over them -- probably, he's kidnapped one of
Cruel Trick their NPCs and will kill this person if his demands aren't met. Put the heroes through the encounter where they
have to do something they are loathe to do, such as sack and pillage a temple, before they have the opportunity
to retrieve their friend.